The New Civilization of Witches

Chapter 10: The Stoneworker

This week the weather is not good, the sky is always gray, the mood of Karl van Bate like the weather, gloomy to extreme.

Walking on the wet stone path, from time to time there were people greeting him.

In this city, Karl runs a school. In Graycastle noble children with the talent to go to school, attend different types of colleges, here he also teaches for the children of ordinary people.

Therefore, in this border city, he had a very high reputation.

"Hey, Mr. van Bate, good morning."

"Sir, is my son okay?" "When you're free, Karl, let's go fishing together."

At ordinary times Karl would always smile and would respond to them, but today he just nodded, never saying a word.

Ever since he witnessed Anna being hanged, in his eyes the world seemed to be flawed - or it could be said since his departure from Graycastle, a crack seemed to appear, but he had deliberately turned a blind eye.

He used his busy job to numb himself, and to some extent, he even used the plain smiles of the students, to cover this gap.

Until Anna died, he thought, the world had not changed. But after being hung, the crack not only did not disappear, but it also widened.

Regarding Anna, she recalled the memories of half a year earlier. Among the more than thirty children in his class he did not stand out, with a normal appearance, he said,

he had never been a talkative person, but there was something that made Karl feel a little impressed.

It was his passion for knowledge. No matter what they are going to teach, the character or the history,

he could always remember it on his first try.

Even if it was the boring history and evolution of religion, he was always seen holding a book.

He had seen the young woman helping to take care of her neighbor's sheep, sitting in the sun,

Anna carefully brushed the sheep hair, gently, like someone would do it with a baby.

The picture that he could still remember so clearly was the sweet smile of a happy girl, no matter what or how she could not think of him as a bad and evil person.

Then there was a fire at her house, and unfortunately Anna's mother died, after which Anna never returned to college.

He never saw her again, until a week ago, when she was proven to be a witch and was hung in the town square.

Tempted by the devil?

The unclean guy?

A crime?

All fart!

In his heart, for the first time he doubted the Holy Church, for the first time he doubted the knowledge they gave him.

Whether Anna was a witch or not, she did not know, but she would never turn evil!

If a girl is immature, a girl who is ignorant about the world and full of curiosity can be called evil,

then the administration officials of Graycastle were from hell and were possessed by demons as well!

In order to save several hundred gold royals, they deliberately stole stone materials instead, which led to the collapse of the half-finished theater building; over thirty masons from their guild had died.

But were they hanged?

Not one!

The judge eventually ruled that the leader of the masons did not fit his job, he was sentenced to exile, the mason was forced to disband.

And Carl, who knew the insight story, escaped from the limelight and left Graycastle, he followed the path to the west, finally ending up in the border town.

He managed to establish a college, with many students, he already knew new neighbors, he found new friends, but the crimes of the Graycastle officers were always etched in his mind.

Now, once again he felt the world was mocking him - what was evil, the gods of heaven could they see it clearly?

The last incredible straw for Karl was

Nana.

Nana and Anna were not similar; one could even say that they were the opposite.

She's a very agile girl, quite famous on campus. Only rarely attended class, and when he was there, he could never notice, just lying on the grass.

If you ask what he is doing, he will laugh for a while, and then he will answer that he is looking at a fight between grasshoppers and ants.

Nana's face was always full of laughter; it seemed to be her nature.

The evil world had nothing to do with him, at least on campus, he could always be happy and could laugh.

Karl was even a little curious - had he ever cried since he was born.

Until two days ago, when suddenly, with a long face, Nana came to find him, "Teacher, will I be hanged too, like

Anna?"

This made him know, his disciple, Nana had become a witch. "Ah, isn't that Teacher?

Come here and help us see what's written there"

Karl felt as if someone had pulled up his sleeve.

that someone had to tell them what the announcement said, hearing the name of van Bate, everyone consciously stepped aside.

"Teacher, you happened to come, help us to see it."

"You're right, Meg was originally going to read this to us, but the end result was, before she told us, she had a stomachache and had to go to the toilet, until now she didn't come back."

As usual, he nodded with a smile, then he explained in detail the contents of the bulletin board to everyone listening.

But at this time Karl realized that it was impossible for the smiles and enthusiasm of these people not to be fake, but for him it was fake, but seeing this, it became increasingly unbearable to wear the fake mask itself.

Anna's hanging post was placed on top of the notice, everyone cheerfully discussing it.

In a sense, you are the killer; he can only say it in his own heart, your ignorance and fear have killed him. |Karl had to swallow his emotions, take a deep breath and walk to the front of the announcement list.

"The prince asked for a hand to help with the construction of new buildings for the border town, different types of jobs are available" he said.

But I am also one of the killers, and what qualifications do I have to blame?

The one who told them that witches were evil, wasn't I?

Karl had a bitter taste in his mouth, look, everything they knew I had taught them, word for word the doctrine of the Holy Church, I always thought I taught well, to hell with it!

"Stone grinders, they should be male, from 20 years to 40 years old and healthy. Payment, 25 bronze royals per day"

Mud craftsmen, not limited to gender, over 18 years old, they must have experience in masonry work, the daily payment is 45 bronze nobles."

"....."

No, he had to do something, if Anna's death was irreparable, then at least he couldn't let Nana die. Karl heard his inner voice scream, and,

"Guild Mason collapses when you don't stand up, Anna is hanged when she doesn't stand up, do you like what happens when you're silent, helplessly looking at this beautiful child, when will he be sent to the gallows?"

But what can he do? Can he escape with

Nana's out of Border Town?

He had his own family, the family that traveled with him from Graycastle, only when his live improved would they have to leave again?

Even Nana herself, who was born into a wealthy family, would she leave her permanent residence?

Masons, not limited to gender, age is not limited, preferably are the ones who participate in the construction for the administration of the city,

as forts, or other forts, recruit town halls for the long term, with a monthly remuneration of 1 royal gold.

"Additional Term: People with rich experience and excellent performance, can get official positions."

After reading the notice, people became more noisy,

"paying 1 royal gold monthly, this was even better than the payment for the fortress cavalry!"

"Will you go? Can you build a fort?"

"You, don't just stare at this, find a job, every day you'll get paid for the job, count together you won't get less than by hunting."

"Indeed, when it comes to hunting it may lose its own life and when it comes to dodging it may also get lost."

Karl van Bate did not notice this; he concentrated on the stamp and signature at the last notice. It was a signature from

Roland Wimbledon, the fourth prince.

Does the prince not know that the Moon Demon has come? Whatever he wants to build, this is not the right time to start.

It seemed that His Majesty knew nothing about the construction, provided that himself could become a mason, whether he would attract his attention ..

Karl suddenly got the idea, perhaps through this recruitment, he could see the prince himself, the supreme ruler of the Border city.

This thought made Karl swallow, could he convince the prince that the witches were not evil?

There were rumors about His Majesty's unique idea, he should have a different character from ordinary people, but also that he hated the church very much.

Maybe he can do it! He thought, although in the end Anna's hanging was ordered by Prince Roland, yet everyone could see she was unwilling to do so.

The prince himself was still in his early twenties, this should have made it easier to understand, the girls were still in their married age,

how did they suddenly become evil and perform such unforgivable actions?

Of course, there was a chance that Karl would end up as the Magician's Maid, he would have to go to the gallows, along with the witch.

Church law stipulates that anyone who protects a witch or who would plead for leniency should be considered as someone who abandons himself and becomes a disciple of the devil.

Only the prince, the prince who hated the church, could be his last hope, for only he could declare the laws of the church as a waste of paper.

Charles prayed in his heart.

Although she did not know to God where she should pray, she closed her eyes and prayed for blessings.

To remember Anna who died, for

Nana is still alive, and to herself, so that the cracks of her own heart will no longer expand.

He decided to take a risk.